How Contact Centers Became the Corporate Nervous System (Live from ICMI w Daniel)
Release Date: 11/06/2025
Unlocking Value in Contact Centers with Brad Cleveland
Contact Center Show
Summary In this conversation, Amas Tenumah, Bob Furniss and Brad Cleveland discusses the three levels of value that contact centers create: efficiency, customer satisfaction and loyalty, and strategic insights provided by AI. He emphasizes the importance of these levels in improving products, services, and processes. Takeaways there's three levels of value that contact centers create Level one is efficiency customer satisfaction, loyalty, if we do a good job it's the strategic insight that AI can provide it can still tell us, hey, here's a trend I'm seeing Here's an opportunity to improve...
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Stacy Sherman: Why 'Satisfied' Is the New 'Fine' And 12 Reasons That's Not Good Enough"
Contact Center Show
Low-Cost, High-Impact CX Improvements The Power of Language: Transform "I can't" into "How can we" Shift from "I have to" to "We get to" Being "impeccable with your word" (inspired by The Four Agreements) Words trigger emotional responses that shape customer perception Getting CX Buy-In Across Organizations The Alignment Problem: CX initiatives fail when metrics aren't shared across departments Success came when executives adopted the same CX metrics as the CX team Without shared goals, customer insights get shelved with "we'll get to it later" The Pilot Program Strategy: Start small...
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Live from ICMI Conference - HR as a Contact Center with Bianca
Contact Center Show
Episode Summary Broadcasting live from the ICMI conference in Orlando, Amas and Bob discuss the evolving role of AI in contact centers, the ongoing struggle for strategic recognition, and welcome special guest Bianca, who shares her unique perspective on running HR as a contact center at Michigan State University. Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 - Opening & Conference Impressions Podcast introduction (running since 2020, available on all platforms) Day 2 reflections from ICMI conference The shift in AI messaging: less prominent on vendor backdrops than previous year 03:00 - The...
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How Contact Centers Became the Corporate Nervous System (Live from ICMI w Daniel)
Contact Center Show
Host: Bob Furniss (without co-host Amos) Guest: Daniel Thomas, Informa Location: ICMI Conference Expo Floor Guest Background Daniel Thomas approaches contact center industry from a research background Surveys audiences and writes research reports Has "front row seat" to industry transformation Conducts the annual State of the Contact Center survey About the State of the Contact Center Report Comprehensive benchmark study surveying contact center professionals Covers multiple verticals including: Training and skills Compensation and salary Technology use Leadership perceptions Strategy ...
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Navigating Complexity in Contact Centers (live show w Luke Jamieson)
Contact Center Show
Summary In this conversation, Amas, Luke and Bob explore the evolving complexity of contact centers, challenging the notion that they are becoming simpler. They emphasizes that while the intention may be to simplify processes, the reality is that sophistication often leads to increased complexity. They also highlights the reliance on outdated metrics, such as those managed in Excel, which can contribute to agent burnout and friction with customers. They advocate for a shift towards more effective lead metrics to enhance the overall efficiency and satisfaction in contact centers. Takeaways...
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Is Salesforce and CRM in trouble?
Contact Center Show
Summary In this conversation, Amas Tenumah and Bob Furniss discuss the evolution of contact centers, the impact of CRM systems like Salesforce, and the role of AI in enhancing agent performance. They reflect on the historical context of CRM, the challenges faced by agents, and the future of customer service technology, particularly focusing on the Agent Force initiative. The discussion also touches on the sentiment within the Salesforce community and the potential for new competitors in the market. Takeaways Salesforce has become a dominant player in the CRM space. The evolution...
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The Impact of Marketing on contact center
Contact Center Show
Summary In this conversation, Amas Tenumah and Bob Furniss discuss the intricate relationship between marketing and call center operations, particularly during high-demand periods like holidays. They share personal anecdotes about challenges faced in fulfilling customer orders due to marketing miscommunications and emphasize the importance of building strong relationships between marketing and contact center teams. The discussion highlights the need for effective communication, data sharing, and collaboration to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency. Takeaways The...
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Are Contact Centers Really Profit Centers?
Contact Center Show
Summary: For decades, leaders have debated whether the contact center should be a cost center, a profit center, or something in between. In this episode, Amas and Bob cut through the noise and tackle the question head-on: Is the contact center truly a profit center—or are we just telling the story wrong? Amas argues that the CFO decides the labels, not us, and that contact centers suffer from being terrible storytellers compared to marketing. Bob reinforces that stories, not spreadsheets, are what move executives to invest in customer experience. Together, they break down how leaders can...
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Stuck Between AI and Customers
Contact Center Show
We’re back from summer break (okay, maybe fall break too) and diving straight into the mess where AI, customers, and reality collide. In this episode, Amas and Bob unpack the hype vs. the truth about AI in contact centers: Is AI replacing humans—or just making customers angrier? Why human agents are still the heart of service, even as bots sound more “human.” How contact center leaders feel stuck—between CEOs chanting “AI, AI, AI” and customers who just want their problems solved. What the data really says about automation, agent workloads, and customer expectations. ...
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BPO Success vs Failure
Contact Center Show
Summary In this conversation, Amas Tenumah and Bob Furniss discuss the intersection of sports fandom and the business of contact centers, particularly focusing on business process outsourcing (BPO). They explore the reasons companies choose to outsource their customer service operations, the challenges involved, and the evolving landscape of the BPO industry. The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding core competencies, cost savings, and the need for competent consultants in the BPO space. Takeaways The NBA Finals can evoke strong emotions and rivalries. BPOs are...
info_outlineHost: Bob Furniss (without co-host Amos)
Guest: Daniel Thomas, Informa
Location: ICMI Conference Expo Floor
Guest Background
- Daniel Thomas approaches contact center industry from a research background
- Surveys audiences and writes research reports
- Has "front row seat" to industry transformation
- Conducts the annual State of the Contact Center survey
About the State of the Contact Center Report
- Comprehensive benchmark study surveying contact center professionals
- Covers multiple verticals including:
- Training and skills
- Compensation and salary
- Technology use
- Leadership perceptions
- Strategy
- Tracks year-over-year progress
- Recent additions include AI and workforce training questions
Key Surprising Findings
1. Contact Centers as Strategic Intelligence Hubs
- Major shift: Contact centers increasingly viewed as "strategic customer intelligence hubs" rather than cost centers
- Described as "customer intelligence and nervous system"
- No other department has closer customer proximity or more customer data
- C-suite now acknowledges value with direct data funnels informing executive decisions
2. AI Perceptions and Impact
- 72% believe AI will transform roles, not replace them
- Only ~25% think AI will lead to workforce reductions
- AI expected to handle "level one, rote, monotonous, repetitive work"
- Agents will focus on:
- Complex needs and edge cases
- Soft skills: empathy, communication, problem solving, critical thinking
- 90% of surveyed leaders believe humans necessary as AI overseers
- Gartner prediction: 40% of agentic AI projects will fail by 2027 (often due to neglecting human oversight)
Agent Evolution
- Agents increasingly viewed as:
- Consultants
- Solutions architects
- Higher-tier problem solvers
- "White glove service" providers
- Rising expectations due to AI support
- Agents becoming intelligence providers to C-suite
- More analytical roles: identifying trends, patterns, creating intelligent summaries
Top AI Implementation Concerns
- Customer resistance (top concern)
- Data accuracy
- Data privacy and security
- Lack of proper AI governance
Workforce and Quality Management Insights
Workforce Models (Nearly Equal Three-Way Split)
- In-office full time
- Hybrid
- Fully remote
- Models remain transitional and subject to change
- Increased scheduling flexibility critical for retention
Quality Focus Shift
- Traditional metrics: CSAT, utilization, average handle time
- New priority: Agent experience rising in importance
- Recognition that internal customer experience drives external customer experience
Customer Satisfaction Challenges
- Current CSAT surveys often lack nuance
- Can't distinguish between:
- Poor agent performance vs. poor company policy
- Single bad experience vs. overall satisfaction
- Need for more qualitative feedback mechanisms
- "Watermelon effect": High metrics but poor actual experience
Channel Evolution
- Significant jump from multi-channel to omni-channel implementation
- Growth in non-traditional channels:
- Social media
- SMS/text
- Video
- Technology enabling unified customer history across channels
Key Takeaways
- Successful organizations treat contact centers as "valuable strategic sources of intelligence"
- Organizations not recognizing this value are "dropping the ball" and will "see the consequences"
- Contact centers serve as the "hub" and "nervous system" reaching everywhere in the organization
- When no one knows the answer, they turn to the contact center
Notable Quotes
- "If your agents aren't excited about AI, then you actually haven't communicated to them how enriching and transforming it could be"
- "Agents are increasingly going to play a role where they are the eyes and the ears... providing the intelligence back to the C-suite"
- Contact centers as "the strongest data... the hub... the nervous system that reaches in everywhere else"